Summit Advocates, an organization that provides support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, has rebranded as ARISE. The change went into effect Monday, Oct. 28.

Outreach and education coordinator Torey Ivanic said a main reason behind the name change was because the word “advocate” doesn’t have an exact translation in Spanish that staff and community members felt reflected the mission of the organization. Since the organization serves English and Spanish speakers, they felt it was important to make a change. 

ARISE is an acronym that stands for Advocacy, Resiliency, Intervention, Safehouse and Education. In Spanish the ancornym stands for Apoyo, Refugio, Intervención, Serguidad and Educacion .

ARISE has a safehouse that can accommodate up to 23 people, including children of survivors. The organization does not publicize its location for safety reasons. 

Ivanic said the connotation surrounding the words “advocate” also prompted the name change. She said “advocate” is often associated with the word “victim” and many times when a survivor is branded as a “victim” they won’t seek help because they don’t view themselves as victims. 

“It excludes people who don’t think of themselves as victims, and it continues this stigmatization of the topic,” she said.

To learn more about ARISE, visit AriseSummitCo.org/about.